CVE-2022-23648

CVE-2022-23648 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linuxfoundation Containerd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 27% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-200.

Key facts

Description

containerd is a container runtime available as a daemon for Linux and Windows. A bug was found in containerd prior to versions 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.14.12 where containers launched through containerd’s CRI implementation on Linux with a specially-crafted image configuration could gain access to read-only copies of arbitrary files and directories on the host. This may bypass any policy-based enforcement on container setup (including a Kubernetes Pod Security Policy) and expose potentially sensitive information. Kubernetes and crictl can both be configured to use containerd’s CRI implementation. This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.4.12. Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-23648?
containerd is a container runtime available as a daemon for Linux and Windows. A bug was found in containerd prior to versions 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.14.12 where containers launched through containerd’s CRI implementation on Linux with a specially-crafted image configuration could gain access to read-only copies of arbitrary files and directories on the host. This may bypass any policy-based enforcement on container setup (including a Kubernetes Pod Security Policy) and expose potentially sensitive information. Kubernetes and crictl can both be configured to use containerd’s CRI implementation. This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.4.12. Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.
How severe is CVE-2022-23648?
CVE-2022-23648 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2022-23648 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 27% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-23648?
CVE-2022-23648 primarily affects Linuxfoundation Containerd. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-23648?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2022-23648 published?
CVE-2022-23648 was published on 2022-03-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

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